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Adams County board approves engineering funds for proposed PFAS leachate treatment plant; debt vote postponed
Summary
After a Tetra Tech presentation on PFAS in landfill leachate, the Adams County Board approved a $510,000 solid‑waste budget amendment to pay engineering work toward a proposed reverse‑osmosis treatment plant and Clean Water Fund application; the related promissory‑note resolution was postponed to June 23.
The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to advance engineering work on a proposed reverse‑osmosis leachate treatment plant after a two‑hour Committee of the Whole presentation and debate.
Tetra Tech project engineer Jalen Thomas told the board the county’s sanitary landfill faces increasing pressure as wastewater plants reduce or stop accepting leachate because of stricter PFAS limits. Thomas said a feasibility study evaluated three treatment approaches and recommended reverse osmosis (RO) as the only option likely to allow on‑site discharge and eliminate reliance on downstream wastewater plants. He cited capital estimates of about $6.4 million for RO, roughly $8.1 million for a conventional activated‑sludge/GAC/ion‑exchange approach, and a far higher $97.9 million estimate for an activated‑sludge approach with foam fractionation.
Thomas described the Clean Water State Revolving Fund administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as the preferred financing route. He said the program offers reduced loan interest, and that projects addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS may qualify for principal forgiveness up to 70 percent. Thomas emphasized a key application milestone: submitting required engineering deliverables and an application intent by Sept. 30, 2026 (the presenter framed it as the DNR deadline to preserve eligibility for principal forgiveness).
Reuben, the county’s solid‑waste superintendent, told supervisors the landfill receives about 40,000 tons a year and that the county’s DNR fee retention from that tonnage would contribute roughly $220,000 per year toward loan servicing if a project proceeds.
After extended questioning about technology readiness, warranties, capacity and the county’s procurement approach, the board voted 16–3 to approve a Solid Waste Fund budget amendment to pay Tetra Tech roughly $510,000 for the necessary engineering design, specifications and bid documents needed for the Clean Water Fund application. Supervisors Dozel, Eagersdorf and Shelton voted no and repeatedly pressed for more time to consult constituents and review financial scenarios.
An initial resolution to authorize general obligation promissory notes to finance the treatment project (discussed in meeting comments as roughly a $6.4–$7 million borrowing) was introduced but was postponed to the June 23 county board meeting. The motion to postpone passed 13–7 (20 members recorded). County staff and Tetra Tech representatives told the board that engineering deliverables paid for by the budget amendment would be county property and could support later procurements whether or not the board approves debt issuance in June.
County staff and consultants framed the decision as a time‑sensitive opportunity: officials said Wisconsin’s recent legislative changes and a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling expanding DNR authority, combined with DNR signals about available principal forgiveness, make this year the most favorable window to secure aid. Supervisors who opposed moving forward tonight said they wanted more time to seek input from voters and to see firmer written commitments from the DNR on principal forgiveness.
Next steps: engineering work will proceed under the approved budget amendment; staff will prepare the full loan/borrowing resolution for board consideration on June 23 and will distribute additional documentation requested during the meeting.
